Shimmy is a tutu for the girl on the go - throw it on over a pair of jeans for instant flair, without all the hassle of a traditional skirt. If you know of a little girl who wants to dress like a fairy and still climb trees, this could be just the accessory she needs! Let your own inner child come out to play in the adult version, which is a great throw-on accessory for Halloween, bellydancing, or any time you just want to have a little fun in your day.

This is a basic pattern/tutorial for combining a fun and funky skein of handspun yarn with tulle, fabric, ribbons and bells to make a tutu style skirt. Gauge is unimportant for this project; you should be able to make a child or adult sized skirt using 4oz of handspun yarn in any weight, or a single skein of a fun and funky commercial yarn.

In addition to the yarn itself, to make a tutu you will need:

tulle (one bolt from the craft section of a big-box store is more than enough; 1/4 yard cut from a larger bolt will work as well

ribbons

small bells or jewels

fabric strips

spare lengths of yarn

a crochet hook for making slipknots (it’s possible just to use your fingers)